Market growth for high density and high output/input integrated circuit packages has resulted in a trend for electronic products that are lightweight, smaller in size, multi-functional, and capable of ever increasing higher speeds. Electronic products such as cell phone base products, global positioning systems (GPS), satellites, communication equipment, consumer products, and a vast line of other similar products are in ever increasing global demand.
Products must be capable of competing in world markets and attracting many consumers or buyers. It is very important for products to continue to improve in features, performance, and reliability while reducing product costs, product size, and to be available quickly for purchase by the consumers or buyers.
Smaller packages need to be electrically connected with other parts and components. As the smaller packages with more circuits continue to get shrink in size, there is a greater need to produce the smaller packages with more and more package connectors to support continually increasing amounts of electrical connections to and from those smaller packages.
Thus, an increasing need remains to increase the electrical connections of packages as the sizes of the packages continue to shrink in size while the circuits inside those packages continue to increase. It is also critical that the electrical connections are created and placed with precision so that each of the electrical connections can be spaced apart from one another. Smaller packages must be able to connect to circuit boards and deliver increasing functionality, speed, and performance. In view of the economic and technological challenges, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems.
In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is critical that answers be found for these problems. Additionally, the need to reduce costs, improve reliability and product yields to meet competitive pressures adds an even greater urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought after but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.